Gemma

More Widows Less… Everything Else

Widows

Directed By: Steve McQueen

Grade: C+/B-

Widows was definitely one of my must-sees of the Fall pretty much from the moment I saw the trailer. It wasn’t what I expected which isn’t a bad thing of course. Unfortunately it had some other issues that puts this in the category: has its moments but could have been great.

Viola Davis is excellent, naturally, in the lead role of a widow whose left holding the debt when her husband and his team die stealing from a local drug guy- one who happens to be running for office. Double unfortunately- they burned up with the money.

So Veronica must mourn her husband and join with the other widowed members of his team to try to pull off what would have been his next big heist.

Viola Davis as Veronica in Widows

Main thing: this is not the heist movie I thought it would be. Its a much slower character piece. Which still totally worked because the four main women (including Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki and Cynthia Erivo) are all excellent and they had really interesting stories and chemistry with each other.

Another thing that drew me to this movie was its co-written by Gillan Flynn who did Gone Girl and Sharp Objects.

Elizabeth Debicki as Alice in Widows

But the political stuff bordered on well- boring. Daniel Kaluuya played the heavy for this brother but I don’t think he got anything like enough characterization. Basically he was an ass. I mean he was good at it. But still…

There’s also a random scene flashback involving a police killing which is just kind of there for motivation.

And one scene that kind of drove me crazy where Colin Farrell is arguing with his assistant- who up until then and then after is pretty much a blank slate and she’s seriously like ripping him a new one but we don’t see any of it cause we’re outside the car watching the scenery go by. I get what Steve McQueen was trying to do with that shot and the neighborhoods it was just odd and I think we needed to see something of the actors faces and body language.

Veronica and Alice in Widows
Two excellent performances.

When the movie concentrated on the four women their relationships and lives it was really good and got four great performances. And I did like the twist (though she handled it way better than I would have.) But when it went into everything else I felt like it got lost.

Recommend: Lean toward yes for the performances but- much like Crimes of Grindelwald- this is one that you can wait for home viewing.

9 comments

  2. Great review, waiting for the home version is this case as well.
    With the rate I’m watching movies (one a week max), I won’t mind the wait he he.

    Reply

  4. OH MY GOD Finally someone who doesn’t like that weird ‘let’s show the neighborhood not the characters’ scene either! That was so distracting and took me out of the movie. Yeah I know he is showing poor to rich transition but we got that without that scene, it was so unnecessary. The whole movie was so unfocused and messy.

    Reply

    • Right? I found that more distracting plus it seemed like a really good character moment for Colin Farrell and so out-of-character for the assistant I think we should have seen them. Of course I just blanked on his characters name so shows how much that stuck with me!

      Reply

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